Ratchet-wrench.



PATENTED MAY 14, 1907.

'0. MILLER. RATOHBT WRENCH. APPLICATION mm) on. 14. 1905.

zz/zmemmw 4 clear, and exact description.

first to produce such a wrenchin vwhich-one one devices, such as sockets, screw drivers' which would tend to separate the handle seci tions fromeach other.

. few parts as practicable so as'to reduce the cost of manufacture and still enable thi longitudinal sections secured together for inclosing=and retaining the ratchet, pawl and :'.brings more ,.or jlessjtor'sional and lateral friction spring whereby the tool is frictienally 'serted into either end of the opening in the ratchet wheel.

ratchet wheel, pawl, and its actuating springwi'thin thee-split handle composed of -.;tvv o UNITED .K-F A E CHARLHESI'MILLERE'TOF sYRAoUse itEwve RAIFCHET-WRE'NCH,

No. 8'5.3', Q0. p: Sflecificationbf Letters Patent." Patented May 14,1 9 07 Applioationijlled 0ctober1 i,'1905. SeriaINo'L 282.793. I ierh'j 'n i i To all whomit mag concern:

Be it knowniithat 1, CHARLES MILLER, of Syracuse, in thecounty of Onondaga in ,the State of New Yorkfihave invented new and, useful Improvements in Ratchet-Wrenches, of which thefollowing, taken connection with the accompanying awings, is a full,

This invention relates to improvement-sin ratchet wrenches in which the handle is made hollow and composed oftwo opposite its actuating spring: 5

v I am aware that it is not broadly new to make the handle of a ratchet wrench intwo parts containing the ratchet and its awl and actuating-spring, but I believjethat am the of the handle sections has-an enlarged tubular end integral therewith forreceiving vari and other working 'tools, the use of which strains ulponthe wall mtthe'tubular head.

elieve that amjthe first to provide whereby suchvtool may be usedin the ratchet wheel .or in the tubular head. 1 3

furtherfeature of the noveltyconsists in providing the shank of the tool withla simple held in its opening in the ratchetwheel ortubular headv to H prevent accidental displacement of the-tool and also to permit it tb be in My object, therefore,- is" to inelosethe pieces riveted together in such a manner-as to retain the operating parts and still leave a solid ltubulari head (integral with one; of Q the parts toreceimetools'an prevent any strains:

Another object is-to'rnake the parts of the I ratchet-wrench as simple and compact with as a wrench to be adaptedtea-yariety of nses. have, therefore soughtnot only to 1110 ease the utility of the wrench but also to st registering apertures -8 receiving t gi its parts inithe manner previously describe and also by afl'ording a comparatively long -'longitudinal bearing for the. pawl without adding materially to tli'elengthof the handle, this being-accorn lished by reducing the end of the pawljwhic isencircled by the 'springand providing a groove in which the adjacent end of the awl may play endwise.

Other 0 jects and uses will appear in the following description. r T

In the drawings,1Eig-ure 1 is a top plan of 1 my improved: ratchet wrench; '.-2:-is;a longitudinal sectional view taken on ine 22 'of Fig. 1'. Fig. 3is an inner face view of-- one of' the handle sections having the tubular 7o head and showing in operative position the ratchet wheel, pawl and actuatingv spring.

Fig. 4 is an inner face view'of the shorter opposite handle section. Fig. 5 is aperspe'ctive view of the detached friction plate and washerwith which each tool is provided.

-In carrying out the objects stated 'l provide a hollow handle consisting of two parts 1 and +2 each havinga lengthwise roove -3- in which .is'seated and guide a suitable pawl .4 and spring A the correspbndlng end of each section being enlarged and provided with *a circular recess 6' forming an annular chamber in which is rotatingly mounted a ratchet wheel -'7i, Figs. 2 and 3. These handle sections 1 and 2 are providedwith suitable fastening means, as rivets -9-- y-which said handle sections are permanently secured together face to face=andboth being of the same depth it is evident that they meet in a longitudinal plane substantial-l midway between their upper and lower aces, the

handle being thus divided. through its longio 5 vtudinal center through the greater portion of its length." The end of the section 1- opposite. to that in which the ratchet wheel 7 is mounted is enlarged forming a tubular head 1()- having-an open ng! or 10c socket .11 extending inwardly fr'om its outer end a suitable distance forreceiving and supporting a, tool, as a screwdriver 12-', indicated by 'dottedlines in Fig.2.

This tubular head 10 is formed integral with the-handle section i l r .-and extends laterally, beyond the meeting faces of. the 5 handle sections and also beyond. the ad'a: cent endof the handle section 2-. there y' 'forming 'an abutting face or shoulder 13-- I 1 0 against which the adjacent end of the handle section --2-' abuts. It, therefore, .follows that the handle section -2-4 is somewhat shorter than, the .handle section 1 and that byforming the tubular head integral with the handle section 1 the longitudinal division of the handle terminates short I of the tubular head thus avoiding any division or joints in such head and materially increasing its strength to resist torsional and lateral strains incidental to the use of a tool in the socket 1 1.

' The ends of the handle sections '-1 and 2' in which the ratchet wheel 7 is 10- cated are formed with registering circular openings 14 ofthe same size or diameter and the ratchet .wheel =-7- is formed with opposite reducedhubs *15 which are journaled in said openings ,-14-, thus permit-- ting the ratchet wheel to be reversed end for end if desired. This ratchet wheel is 'provided with a central angular (usually square) opening 16 for receiving a similarly formed angular shank -17 of a wrench socket f'18. The upperend of the shank 17 is reduced in width ,forming recesses -19- in the opposite faces for receiving the inturned ends 20- of a spring friction washer 21, which latter is secured to the top of the shank l7' by suitable fastening means, as a rivet 22.

The spring ends -2(l'- of the washer -21- are convexed and tensioned outwardly so as to normally lie aslight distance beyond the'planes of the adjacent sides of the shank 17 It is, therefore, obvious that when the shank 17-.-* is inserted endwise into the opening --1 6' the ends of the spring 2 1- will be compressed. by the sides of the said.

opening thereby, frictionally holding the wrench socket -18 in operative position and at the same time permitting it to' be easily removed when desired. In like manner any other tool which it may be desired to insert into the opening .-'16 or 11 may be equipped with. a similar friction washer 2l-.

It will be' seen upon reference to Figs. 2 and 3 that the pawl 4-- is of considerable length and that its outer 'end nearest the tubular extension 1()' is, reduced in diameter forming a shoulder 23--* against which. one end of the spring '5 abuts, while the other end of the said spring bears against the' ends of the opposite ribs -24- which are integral with t e handle section .1 and project into the groove -3-. of the handle section -2, thereby locking the two handle sections together against independent lateral displacement and at the same time theseribs are spaced apart a sulficient dis-' tance to form a lengthwise groove 25 in which the reduced end of the pawl -4- ingytreelypalay. y n

assern ling the parts of my invention into its groove -3,,- "whereupo ets--9-are inserted in their respective apsurrounding the reduce the working parts, I such as the ratchet wheel '7, pawl 4- and spring .5- i

are placed in operative position in the groove 3 of the handle section --1-, with the spring 5 interposed between the shoulder -23 of the pawl 4- and adjacent ends of the ribs 24, after which the shorter handle section'2-- is placed in operative positih'n u on the handle sect on +-1, with the r bs -24 iprojecting ertures 8- and upset to permanently secure the two handle sections together leavin the t bular extension 10- undivided and without joints. The ratchet socket -1S may then be inserted in the o ening 16 and hold hv friction the was er 21-- or such wrenc 1 socket may be inserted in the opening11of the enlarged tubular exten- .SIOIl 10 at the opposite end of the handle. This latter opening 1 1 forms a convenient means for receiving and supporting various tools which may be used to give additional leverage to the wrench or may be ada ted for special work.

Iiiiving thus fully explained my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a handle, a head provided with ratchet teeth rotatably mounted in one extremity of said handle, said handle comprising two members each of which is-prov1ded with a longitudinal groove extending throughout the greater part of the length of said' members, a pawl having a reduced end slidably mounted in said roove, a coil spring (Iportion of said pawl, said coil spring bearing against a shoulder formed on said pawl, and oppositely disposed ribs arranged within said grooves, near the rear extremity thereof.

'2. A device of the character described com rising a handle, a' head rovided with ratciiet teeth rotatable in sait handle, said handle comprising two members, each of which is provided with a longitudinal groove extending throughout the greater portion of its length, a pawl mounted in said groove and engagin with the ratchet teeth on said rotatable head, a. plurality of oppositely disposed ribs carried in the rear end of said groove,- and means engaging with said pawl and said rib for retaining said pawl in engagement with said ratchet teeth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 1. 1th day of September, 1905.

CHARLES MILLER.

HIV-H" IIO 

